Friend or Foe? A Grower’s Guide to Male Cannabis Plants
Let’s talk about male cannabis plants. And before we go any further, we need to clear up a major point of confusion, often caused by misleading photos you might see online.
So let’s get this straight from the jump: A male cannabis plant does NOT produce the frosty, smokeable buds we all love. If you see a picture of a cannabis plant with what looks like flowers or nuggets, you are looking at a female. A male plant is a different beast entirely. It produces small, grape-like clusters of pollen sacs.
Recommended Strains
Kabrales
THC: 18% - 20%
Type of seed: Feminized
Day to flower: 8 - 10 weeks
Kabrales Auto
- THC: 14 - 16%
- Type of seed: Autoflowering
- Day to flower: 8 - 10 weeks
Understanding this difference is one of the most critical skills you can learn as a grower.
Why Do We Care? The Sinsemilla Goal
For 99% of growers, the mission is to produce “sinsemilla”, potent, seedless female flowers. A single male plant in your garden can release its pollen into the air and fertilize all of your beautiful female plants. Once that happens, your females will stop putting their energy into making potent, resinous buds and will instead focus all their energy on producing seeds.
Your entire harvest of beautiful buds can be ruined by one male plant you didn’t spot in time.
Promos & Deals
How to Spot the Difference: The Telltale Signs
The moment of truth comes in the “pre-flowering” stage, a few weeks into the vegetative cycle. You need to get your eyes on the “nodes”, the little junctions where the branches meet the main stem.
- A Female Plant will show two delicate, wispy, white “hairs” (called pistils) emerging from a small, teardrop-shaped calyx.
- A Male Plant will develop small, round, ball-like structures that hang down and look like a tiny bunch of grapes. These are the pollen sacs.
You must check your plants daily during this period. Once you positively identify a male, you should carefully remove it from your garden to prevent it from pollinating your females. The only time you’d keep a male is if you are an advanced breeder, intentionally trying to create new seeds and strains.
The Tricky One: The Hermaphrodite & How to Save It
Now, let’s talk about the confusing middle ground: the hermaphrodite. This is a plant, usually a female, that starts to develop both female flowers (pistils) and male pollen sacs. This is almost always caused by stress (like light leaks in the flowering room).
If you see a “hermie” in your garden, you don’t necessarily have to kill it. If you catch it early and there are only a few of those little male “balls” appearing, you can perform some delicate surgery.
Get a pair of tweezers and a small spray bottle filled with plain water. First, gently spray the male pollen sacs with water. This is a brilliant trick that neutralizes any pollen that might escape. Then, carefully pluck off the sacs with your tweezers. If you are diligent and check the plant every day, you can often remove all the male parts as they appear and still get a fantastic harvest of seedless buds from the rest of the plant.
This is a pro-level technique that can save a harvest. It’s all part of learning to Nurture your plants through the challenges they face and becoming a true master of your Homegrown garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a male cannabis plant actually look like?
A male cannabis plant does not produce buds. Instead, at its nodes (where branches meet the stem), it grows small, dangling clusters of ball-shaped pollen sacs. It’s often taller and lankier than a female plant, with fewer leaves.
Why is it so important to remove male plants from my garden?
Because the pollen from a single male plant can travel a long way and fertilize all of your female plants. Once a female is pollinated, she will stop putting her energy into producing large, potent, resinous buds and will instead focus all her energy on making seeds, which dramatically reduces the quality and usability of your harvest.
What is a hermaphrodite cannabis plant?
A hermaphrodite, or “hermie,” is a single plant that develops both female flowers (pistils) and male pollen sacs. This is usually a stress response, and it’s a problem because the plant can pollinate itself and all the other female plants in your garden, filling your buds with seeds.
Can I save a plant if it starts growing male pollen sacs (hermaphrodites)?
Yes, if you catch it early. If there are only a few male pollen sacs, you can carefully spray them with water to neutralize the pollen and then pluck them off with a pair of tweezers. You must be very diligent and check the plant every day for new sacs, but it is often possible to save the harvest.
